W- 


mmm 


•  'v 


THE 


GENESEE  TRACT. 


CESSIONS  BETWEEN  NEW  YORK  AND 
MASSACHUSETTS. 

THE  PHELPS  AND  GORHAM  PURCHASE 


m 


ROBERT  MORRIS. 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  WILLIAMSON  AND 


THE  PULTENEY  ESTATE. 


BY 


■ 


GEO.  S-  COIs TOYEE. 


GENEVA,  ONTARIO  CO.,  N.  Y. 
1889. 


tl''- 


■ 


THE  GENESEE  TRACT. 


CESSIONS  BETWEEN  NEW  YORK  AND  MASSA- 
CHUSETTS-THE  PHELPS  AND  GORHAM 
PURCHASE -ROBERT  MORRIS -CAPTAIN 
CHARLES  WILLIAMSON  AND  THE  PULTE- 
NEY  ESTATE. 


By  GEO.  S.  CONOVER,  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  November,  1889. 


Under  grants  from  the  British  King,  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachu¬ 
setts  and  the  State  of  New  York  both  claimed  the  ownership  of  the  larger 
share  of  the  territory  lying  within  the  bounds  of  New  York.  The  matter 
was  finally  settled  by  commissioners  appointed  by  both  States,  who  met 
together  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  November  30,  1786,  and  after  several  con¬ 
ferences  did,  on  the  16th  December,  1786,  enter  into  and  execute  an  agree¬ 
ment  or  contract  embracing  mutual  cessions,  grants,  releases  and  provisions 
whereby  all  the  interfering  claims  and  controversies  between  said  States, 
as  well  in  respect  of  jurisdiction  as  property,  were  finally  settled  and  ex¬ 
tinguished,  and  peace  and  harmony  established  between  them  on  the  most 
r  -solid  foundation.  By  the  settlement  thus  effected,  New  York  obtained 
the  right  of  government,  sovereignty  and  jurisdiction  over  all  the  lands 
in  dispute,  and  to  Massachusetts  was  ceded  the  right  of  pre-emption  of 
^  the  soil  from  the  native  Indians  to  about  230,400  acres  north  of  Pennsyl¬ 
vania,  between  the  Owego  and  Chenango  rivers,  commonly  called  the 
Massachusetts  Ten  Townships,  and  also  to  all  the  lands  in  New  York  west 
4*>of  a  line  beginning  at  the  82d  mile  stone  on  the  north  bounds  of  Pennsyl¬ 
vania  and  running  on  a  due  meridian  north  to  Lake  Ontario,  except  one 
;lmile  in  width  along  the  Niagara  river. 

Massachusetts  soon  disposed  of  the  Ten  Townships,  and  on  the  1st  of 
y April,  1788,  by  act  of  legislature,  agreed  to  sell  to  Nathaniel  Gorham  and 
Oliver  Phelps .  the  right  of  pre-emption  from  the  native  Indians  to  the 
^remainder  of  the  lands  embraced  in  the  cession,  for  the  sum  of  three  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  pounds  in  three  annual  installments,  payment  to  be  made 
in  the  “consolidated  securities”  of  Massachusetts,  Negotiations  were 
soon  held  with  the  Indians,  and  at  a  council  held  at  Buffalo  creek  a  treaty 
c)was  concluded  on  the  8th  of  July,  1788,  by  which  Phelps  and  Gorham 
C  obtained  the  Indian  title  to  all  the  lands  the  Indians  would  sell,  estimated 
(Uat  2,200,000  acres,  agreeing  to  pay  therefor  $5,000  and  an  annuity  of  $500. 

This  Indian  grant  was  confirmed  by  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  by 
T.^act  passed  November  2,  1788.  The  purchase  thus  made  was  bounded  on 
s?the  north  by  Lake  Ontario,  on  the  east  by  the  line  of  cession  to  Massachu¬ 
setts  commonly  called  the  Pre-emption  line,  on  the  south  by  Pennsylvania, 


2 


5  7 

dn 

on  the  west  by  a  meridian  line  to  be  run  from  Pennsylvania  to  thebconfiu- 
ence  of  the  Canaseraga  creek  and  the  Genesee  river,  and  northerly  along 
the  Genesee  river  to  a  point  two  miles  north  of  Canawagus  Indian  village 
(near  Avon),  thence  west  twelve  miles,  thence  northerly  and  twelve  miles 
distant  from  the  Genesee  river  to  Lake  Ontario. 

This  became  known  as  the  “  Genesee  Tract  ”  and  was  all  the  land  that 
Phelps  and  Gorham  ever  procured.  In  consequence  of  the  rise  in  price 
of  Massachusetts  paper,  which  was  worth  only  twenty  cents  to  the  dollar 
at  the  time  of  the  purchase,  and  from  other  causes,  they  were  unable  to 
make  the  payments  required  by  their  contract,  and  finally  compromised 
with  Massachusetts  and  surrendered  their  claim  to  that  portion  of  the  ter¬ 
ritory  the  Indian  title  of  which  they  had  not  obtained,  which  was  after¬ 
wards  sold  by  Massachusetts  to  the  agent  of  Robert  Morris.  The  Phelps 
and  Gorham  purchase,  known  as  the  Genesee  Tract,  was  surveyed  and 
run  out  into  townships  by  Col.  Hugh  Maxwell  and  others,  who  commenced 
the  survey  in  17 8 8  and  finished  the  work  in  1789.  Early  in  1789  a  land 
office  was  opened  at  Canandaigua  and  the  lands  of  the  Genesee  Tract  put 
upon  the  market.  The  sales,  however,  did  not  come  up  to  expectation, 
for  although  several  townships  and  parts  of  townships  were  sold,  they 
were  mainly  taken  by  those  who  had  an  interest  as  shareholders  and  at 
very  low  prices.  Phelps  and  Gorham  soon  finding  themselves  in  further 
financial  difficulties,  in  their  embarrassment  they  applied  to  Robert  Mor¬ 
ris,  the  eminent  financier  of  the  United  States  during  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  he  having  already  commenced  speculating  in  lands,  on  the  10th 
of  August,  1790,  became  the  purchaser  of  all  the  unsold  lands  in  the  Gen¬ 
esee  Tract,  except  Township  No.  10  of  the  3d  range,  and  No.  9  of  the  7th 
range,  comprising  about  47,000  acres,  which  Phelps  and  Gorham  retained 
for  their  own  use. 

The  purchase  of  the  Genesee  tract  was  consummated  by  the  conveyance 
by  deed  of  the  property  by  Phelps  and  Gorham  and  their  wives  to  Robert 
Morris,  dated  November  18,  1790,  and  by  articles  of  agreement  at  that 
time  it  was  stipulated  that  the  tract  should  contain  at  least  one  million 
acres  of  land,  payment  for  which  was  then  made,  and  for  any  surplus  over 
said  amount  further  payment  was  to  be  made  after  the  contents  of  the 
tract  should  be  accurately  ascertained.  Mr.  Morris  soon  employed  Major 
Adam  Hoops  to  cause  a  re-survey  of  the  tract  to  be  made.  This  work 
was  performed  during  the  years  1791-2,  Frederick  Saxton,  John  Adlum, 
Augustus  Porter,  Thomas  Davis,  Robert  James  and  Morgan  Jon(es  being 
the  surveyors  who  assisted  Major  Hoops  in  the  work,  the  calculations  being 
mainly  made  by  Major  Hoops  and  Mr.  Saxton.  The  old  pre-emption  line 
as  run  by  Col.  Hugh  Maxwell  in  1788  having  been  surveyed  with  very 
primitive  instruments  was  known  to  be  erroneous  and  a  new  line  was  run 
in  November  and  December,  1792,  by  Benjamin  Ellicott  assisted  by  James 
Armstrong,  Frederick  Saxton  and  Augustus  Porter,  and  which  was  sur¬ 
veyed  with  such  accuracy  that  its  correctness  has  never  been  questioned. 
The  offsets  of  the  old  line  were  made  by  Morgan  Jones,  Augustus  Porter 
and  Frederick  Saxton.  It  was  not,  however,  adopted  by  the  State  until 
April  6,  1796.  It  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  purchase;  commences 
at  the  82d  mile  stone  on  the  north  bounds  of  Pennsylvania,  enters  Seneca 
lake  some  two  or  three  miles  north  of  Dresden,  and  passing  out  of  the 
north  end  of  the  lake  at  Pre-emption  street  it  runs  due  north  to  Sodus 


^eVS  V\ 


■xl 


Bay.  Although  a  meridian  or  true  north  and  south  line  it  is  not  the 
meridian  of  Washington  as  some  have  supposed,  that  meridian  line  being 
some  four  miles  further  west. 

By  the  “  Return  of  Survey  ”  made  at  Philadelphia,  by  Major  Adam 
Hoops,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  actual  contents  of  Mr.  Morris’  purchase 
was  one  million  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  thousand  five  hundred  and 
<f\  sixty-nine  acres,  two  roods  and  thirty  perches,  and  from  the  final  settle¬ 
ment  made  between  the  parties,  at  Philadelphia,  February  16,  1793,  we 
learn  that  the  full  number  of  acres  as  per  the  “  Return  of  Survey,”  which 
included  the  Gore  between  the  old  and  new  pre-emption  lines,  was  paid 
for  and  that  the  price  paid  by  Mr.  Morris  was  eight  pence  half  penny  per 
acre,  Massachusetts  currency,  or  between  eleven  and  twelve  cents  per  acre 
in  United  States  money,  the  settlement  paper  being  signed  by  Nathaniel 
Gorham,  Oliver  Phelps,  Robert  Morris,  and  also  by  Charles  Williamson 
to  show  his  privity  to  the  transaction. 

Previous  to  this  time,  however,  and  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1791, 
this  great  tract  of  land  had  been  sold  by  the  London  agent  of  Robert 
Morris  to  some  English  capitalists,  Sir  William  Pulteney  taking  a  nine 
twelfth  interest,  William  Hornby  two  twelfths,  and  Patrick  Colquhoun 
one  twelfth.  Soon  after  the  purchase,  Charles  Williamson,  a  Scotchman 
by  birth,  then  residing  in  Great  Britain,  entered  into  an  agreement  with 
the  purchasers  to  proceed  to  America  as  their  agent,  to  settle  on  the  Gen  - 
esee  tract,  to  sell  the  lands  and  remit  the  proceeds  to  London.  Soon  after 
his  appointment,  Captain  Williamson  came  to  Amierca,  and  after  becoming 
a  naturalized  citizen  he  obtained  from  Robert  Morris  and  his  wife  an  ab¬ 
solute  conveyance  of  the  Genesee  tract  to  himself  in  fee,  after  which  he 
proceeded  to  settle  on  the  tract  and  commenced  operations  for  bringing  the 
lands  into  market.  The  deed  of  conveyance  from  Morris  to  Williamson 
is  dated  April  11,  1792,  the  consideration  named  therein  being  seventy-five 
thousand  pounds  sterling.  The  pound  sterling,  lawful  money  of  Great 
Britain,  was  at  that  time  rated  at  4s  6d  to  the  dollar,  the  conventional 
rate  of  exchange  being  $4.44  4-9  to  the  pound,  and  this  rate  of  value  was 
maintained  for  many  years.  From  this  it  will  he  seen  that  the  price  paid 
by  Sir  William  and  his  associates  for  the  Genesee  Tract  was  $333,333.33, 
being  about  twenty-six  and  one-third  cents  per  acre. 

At  the  time  when  Captain  Williamson  commenced  his  operations  a  dan¬ 
gerous  spirit  of  speculation  pervaded,  which  gave  rise  to  extravagant 
schemes  for  making  large  fortunes  in  a  short  time.  Captain  Williamson’s 
temper  being  of  a  sanguine  cast,  he  soon  appeared  among  the  number  of 
speculators.  Expending  large  sums  in  projects  for  improving  the  Gene¬ 
see  Tract,  he  also  made  purchases  of  other  tracts,  while  many  of  his  sales 
being  made  to  men  without  capital  or  credit,  and  at  prices  above  the  real 
value,  in  the  course  of  time,  from  the  poverty  of  the  buyers  and  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  their  purchases,  often  turned  out  ideal.  During  this  time,  in  order 
to  meet  his  engagements,  Captain  Williamson  occasionally  drew  hills  on 
Sir  William  Pulteney  and  Mr.  Hornby,  who  for  several  years  were  in  the 
practice  of  paying  them.  At  length,  however,  the  hills  increased  in  num¬ 
bers  and  sums  to  a  degree  that  was  alarming,  because  it  proved  oppres¬ 
sive,  and  the  further  acceptance  of  the  bills  was  consequently  refused. 
This  led  to  an  attempt  at  a  final  settlement,  negotiations  for  which  wrere 
commenced  in  1800  and  finally  cousummated  early  in  the  next  year,  Wil- 


4 


liamson  conveying  title  to  Sir  William  Pulteney,  Mr.  Hornby  and  Mr.  Col- 
qukoun,  according  to  their  respective  shares  and  interests,  under  an  “Act 
to  enable  aliens  to  purchase  and  hold  real  estate  within  this  state  under 
certain  restrictions  therein  mentioned,”  passed  April  2,  1798,  which  act 
was  limited  in  duration  for  the  term  of  three  years. 

The  foregoing  facts  relating  to  the  connection  of  Charles  Williamson  with  the  Gene¬ 
see  Tract,  his  operations  in  this  country  and  final  settlement  with  his  principals  are 
principally  derived  from  a  printed  pamphlet,  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Edward  Kingsland, 
entitled,  “In  the  Court  of  Chancery  between  Sir  John  L.  Johnstone,  Complainant,  and 
Sir  James  Pulteney,  Sir  Thomas  Jones,  Christoper  Coddrington,  Robert  Troup.  Mary 
Foster  and  Andrew  Craigie,  Defendants.  Case,  both  on  the  part  of  the  Complainant 
and  of  the  Defendants.”  It  is  a  statement  of  facts  in  a  suit  brought  between  the  owners 
of  the  real  and  of  the  personal  estate  branches  of  the  Pulteney  estate,  to  ascertain  which 
party  was  liable  for  the  payment  of  a  large  bond  and  mortgage  given  by  Williamson  for 
the  purchase  of  a  large  tract  of  land,  and  agreed  upon,  signed  and  submitted  January 
4,  1811,  by  Richard  Harison  and  Josiah  0.  Hoffman  of  Counsel  for  the  complainant,  and 
Thomas  Addis  Emmett  and  John  Wells  of  counsel  for  the  defendants. 

In  relation  to  this  matter  Turner’s  “Phelps  and  Gorham  Purchase,” 
page  274,  says: — “Seldom,  if  ever,  have  property  holders  advanced  larger 
amounts  for  improvements,  or  more  freely  at  first,  though  they  began  to 
be  impatient  after  a  few  years  had  gone  by,  and  the  returns  of  their  im¬ 
mense  outlays  were  coming  in  but  slowly  to  replenish  their  coffers.  In 
1800,  the  balance  sheets  did  not  look  well  for  their  Genesee  country  enter¬ 
prise.  There  had  been  expended  for  purchase  money  of  lands,  agencies 
and  improvements,  $1,374,470.10.  There  had  been  received  for  lands 
sold  but  $147,974.83.  In  addition  to  this  balance  against  them  they  owed 
of  principal  and  interest  upon  lands  purchased  over  $300,000.  To  make 
all  this  look  better,  however,  they  had  an  immense  amount  of  unsold  lands, 
farms  and  mills,  and  an  immense  debt  due  for  lands  sold.” 

In  the  settlement  that  was  affected  between  the  parties,  Williamson 
conveyed,  by  deed  dated  December  13,  1800,  certain  described  lands  to  his 
principals  conditionally  upon  the  payment  to  him  of  the  following  amounts 
at  certain  and  sundry  stipulated  times: 


By  Sir  William  Pulteney . $212,954.45 

By  William  Hornby.  .  . . .  57,323.25 

By  Patrick  Colquhoun . . .  4,722.30 


In  consideration  of  deeds  dated  March,  1801,  by  which  Williamson  con¬ 
veyed  in  full  all  the  balance  of  the  property  to  Sir  William  Pulteney,  the 
latter  obligated  himself: 

1st,  to  accept  and  pay  certain  bills  of  exchange  amounting  to  $24,702.22. 

2d,  to  indemnify  Williamson  against  certain  bonds  and  morgages  given 
for  the  purchase  of  land,  particularly  two  dated  1st  December,  1796,  each 
conditioned  for  $62,500,  by  Williamson  and  Thomas  Morris  to  Andrew 
Craigie,  payable  October  8,  1802,  with  seven  per  cent,  interest  given  for 
the  purchase  of  one-half  of  the  “Craigie  Tract,”  west  of  the  Genesee  river; 
also  one  dated.  September  2,  1800,  conditioned  for  the  payment  of  $10,000 
to  George  Wray,  payable  in  three  years  with  seven  per  cent,  interest, 
signed  also  by  Dudley  Walsh  as  security;  also  the  balance  of  a  bond  and 
mortgage,  13th  January,  1796,  to  John  Joy,  and  carrying  seven  per  cent, 
interest. 

3d,  to  pay  Williamson  in  three  years  after  the  first  of  April,  1801,  the 
sum  of  £20,000  sterling  with  five  per  cent,  interest,  as  compensation  for 


5 


his  services  in  managing  the  concerns  of  the  agency,  called  the  Genesee 
Association,  $88,888.88. 

Also,  to  pay  debts  contracted  by  Williamson  by  reason  of  his  manage¬ 
ment  of  said  concerns  to  the  amount  of  £15,000  or  such  lesser  sum  as  shall 
be  proved  to  have  been  fairly  existing  at  the  date  of  the  proposed  settle¬ 
ment  in  March,  1801,  $66,666.66. 

Also  releases  and  discharges  Williamson  from  all  claims  and  demands 
against  him  prior  to  April  1,  1801. 

The  items  of  the  above  statement  are  taken  from  the  deeds  and  papers 
recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  with 
one  exception  they  correspond  with  the  statement  in  the  law  case,  pre¬ 
viously  alluded  to,  the  item  $66,666.66  not  being  therein  mentioned,  but 
another  item  is  found  “to  pay  Mr.  Williamson  the  further  sum  of  $17,777,- 
77  to  cover  floating  debts  against  him,  a  particular  account  of  which  he 
could  not  render.” 

The  following  interesting  account  of  Capt.  Charles  Williamson’s  settle¬ 
ment  with  his  principals  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  that  able  and  inde¬ 
fatigable  investigator,  Ansel  J.  McCall,  Bath,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Among  Capt.  Williamson’s  papers  an  adjusted  statement,  between  him 


and  his  principals,  has  been  found  and  is  as  follows: 

Amount  of  bonds  and  mortgages  assigned  to  Sir  Wm. 

Pulteney,  December  18,  1800 .  $322,087.57 

Amount  of  bonds  and  mortgages  assigned  in  March,  1801  134,307.00 

Amount  of  notes  assigned  in  March,  1801 . . .  17,803.61 

Amount  of  bonds  and  mortgages  assigned  to  William 

Hornby,  December  13,  1800 .  71,600.13 

Amount  of  bonds  and  mortgages  assigned  to  P.  Colqu- 

houn,  December  13,  1800 .  5,901.46 


$551,699.77 

VALUATION  OF 

Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  William  Pulteney  in  Ontario 

county .  $1,588,708,50 

Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  William  Pulteney  in  Steuben 

county . ”  . .  1,018,973.75 


$2,607,682.2  5 

Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  William  Hornby  in  Ontario 

county . . . . .  $157,118.43 

Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  William  Hornby  in  Steuben 

county .  193,806.00 


Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  P.  Colquhoun  in  Ontario 

county . . . . .  $25,453.13 

Amount  of  lands  conveyed  to  P.  Colquhoun  in  Steuben 

county . . .  11,735.00 


$37,188.13 


Whole  amount  conveyed  valued  at .  $3,547,494.58 


6 


The  above  lands  were  valued  by  Gen.  Hall  and  Israel  Chapin  of  Ontario 
county  and  Judge  Annin  of  Cayuga  county,  and  Judge  Kersey,  Judge 
Hornell  and  Sheriff  Wilson  of  Steuben  county,  who  granted  the  certificate 
of  valuation.  ”  C.  Williamson. 

There  appears  to  have  been  some  disatisfaction,  a  few  years  afterwards, 
in  relation  to  the  settlement  with  Capt.  Williamson,  as  appears  from  an 
opinion  in  the  handwriting  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  Corning  Library  Association,  a  copy  of  which  was  made  for  the 
writer  by  Theo.  Sill,  Esq.  of  Geneva.  The  following  are  the  principal 
points  in  the  opinion:  “The  valuators  or  appraisers  were  plainly  the  agents 
not  of  Mr.  Williamson,  but  of  Sir  William  Pulteney  and  his  co-propriecors; 
consequently  Mr.  Williamson  cannot  be  answerable  for  any  error  that 
they  may  have  committed  unless  there  was  some  fault  on  his  part.”  All 
that  Williamson  did  was  to  furnish  the  appraisers  with  a  list  of  the  lands, 
without  assisting  or  interfering  in  their  deliberations;  “it  was  the  real 
intention  to  adjust  and  terminate  by  compromise  all  antecedent  concerns 
whatever  between  the  parties,  according  to  a  gross  estimate  of  a  sum  or 
round  numbers,  which  Mr.  Williamson  thought  himself  entitled  to  expect 
and  which  Sir  William  Pulteney  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
was  willing  to  allow.  And  we  are  assured  that  in  one  or  more  instances 
the  full  and  general  operation  of  the  Release  in  conformity  with  this  in¬ 
tention,  has  been,  by  Mr.  Troup,  the  agent  of  Sir  William  Pulteney,  op¬ 
posed  to  some  collateral  pretensions  of  Mr.  Williamson.”  The  Release 
not  being  broader  than  the  intention  and  as  the  mistakes  if  any,  of  the 
valuators,  was  not  the  fault  of  Williamson,  Sir  William  has  no  legal  remedy 
for  any  exceptions  he  may  now  take  and  the  operation  of  the  Release  is 
“such  as  to  bar  Sir  William  Pulteney  for  all  claim  against  Mr.  Williamson 
for  re-imbursements.” 

The  title  of  the  Genesee  Teact  having  been  conveyed  by  Charles 
Williamson  to  his  principals,  John  Johnstone  became  the  agent  of  the 
Hornby  and  Colquhoun  estates,  and  upon  his  decease  John  Greig  of  Can¬ 
andaigua  was  appointed  his  successor,  his  first  power  of  attorney  being 
dated  May  2,  1806. 

Robert  Troup  was  the  attorney  of  Sir  William  Pulteney  in  effecting  the 
settlement  with  Williamson,  and  to  his  surprise  received  a  full  power  of 
attorney,  dated  July  20,  1801,  to  act  as  the  permanent  agent  for  making 
contracts  and  sales,  to  grant  and  execute  conveyances  and  all  necessary 
papers  and  to  receive,  make,  and  account  for  all  payments  made  to  or  by 
him.  At  first  he  absolutely  refused  the  agency  but  finally  was  persuaded 
to  accept  and  commenced  his  duties  in  September,  1801.  Sir  William 
Pulteney  died  intestate,  May  13,  1805,  and  the  property  descended  to  his 
only  child,  Henrietta  Laura,  the  Countess  of  Bath;  she  died  July  14, 1808, 
intestate  as  to  her  real  estate,  and  that  property  descended  to  Sir  John 
Lowther  Johnstone,  her  cousin  and  heir  at  law;  he  died  August  V,  1811, 
leaving  a  will  under  the  powers  of  trust  in  which  the  management  of  the 
property  has  continued  until  this  day.  Col.  Troup  continued  in  the  agen¬ 
cy  until  his  death,  which  occured  January  14,  1832,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Joseph  Fellows,  who  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  F.  Young,  whose 
first  power  of  attorney  as  full  agent  is  dated  February  14,  1862.  This 
part  of  the  Pulteney  estate  was  very  much  the  largest  and  might  very 


7 


properly  be  called  the  Johnstone  branch.  Mr.  Young  continues  the 
agency  yet  at  Bath,  Steuben  county. 

Henrietta  Laura  Pulteney,  the  Countess  of  Bath,  wife  of  Sir  J ames  Pul- 
teney,  haying  died  without  issue  and  intestate  as  to  her  real  estate,  by 
virtue  of  a  power  contained  in  articles  of  agreement  July  23, 1794,  previous 
to  her  marriage  with  Sir  James  Murray  (who  upon  his  marriage  took  the 
surname  of  Pulteney,)  made  and  executed  her  will  November  5,  1794,  dis¬ 
posing  of  her  personal  estate  in  America,  bequeathing  the  same  for  the 
benefit  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Markham,  the  wife  of  Rev.  George  Markham, 
afterwards  the  wife  and  widow  of  John  Pulteney,  and  her  children.  The 
personal  estate  in  America  consisted  of  monies  due  and  to  become  due  on 
sales  of  real  estate  by  contracts  of  purchase  and  by  bonds  and.  mortgages 
taken  on  such  sales.  Elizabeth  Evelyn  Pulteney  died  March  18,  1856, 
leaving  a  will,  bequeathing  to  her  son,  the  Rev.  Richard  Thomas  Pulteney 
Pulteney,  the  residuary  personal  estate  of  the  Countess  of  Bath,  for  his 
absolute  benefit,  and  appointing  him  the  executor  of  said  will.  Upon  the 
death  of  the  Countess  of  Bath  the  legal  title  to  the  contracted  lands  in 
America  passed  to  Sir  John  Lowther  Johnstone  who,  during  his  lifetime, 
held  said  title  as  trustee  for  Mrs.  E.  E.  Pulteney  and  her  children,  in 
\  respect  to  the  purchase  monies  arising  from  the  contracts  of  sale,  the  same 
action  being  continued  by  the  Trustees  under  his  will,  their  agents  in 
America,  Robert  Troup  and  his  successor,  Joseph  Fellows,  fulfilling  the 
contracts  of  sale,  by  executing  deeds  for  said  lands,  on  the  payments  of 
purchase  monies,  which  were  accounted  for  and  paid  over  to  Mrs.  Pulteney, 
and  afterwards  to  her  son  and  legatee,  Rev.  R.  T.  P.  Pulteney.  By  in¬ 
denture  dated  September  10,  1862,  the  trustees  under  the  will  of  Sir  John 
Johnstone  conveyed  to  Richard  Thomas  Pulteney  Pulteney  the  title  to  the 
lands  at  that  time  affected  by  the  contracts  aforementioned,  and  thus  this 
might  properly  be  called  the  Pulteney  branch  of  the  Pulteney  estate. 

The  title  having  become  fully  vested  in  Rev.  R.  T.  P.  Pulteney,  the 
estate  was  separated  from  the  Johnstone  branch,  Joseph  Fellows  relin¬ 
quishing  the  agency  to  Benjamin  F.  Young,  but  retaining  the  agency  of 
the  Pulteney  branch.  His  powers  were  fully  confirmed  by  a  power  of 
Attorney,  October,  1862,  from  Rev.  R.  T.  P.  Pulteney  and  wife  to  Joseph 
F ellows  and  Edward  Kingsland.  On  account  of  the  advancud  age  of  Mr. 
Fellows  and  the  large  sums  of  money  in  his  hands  belonging  to  Mr.  Pul¬ 
teney  and  which  were  invested  in  United  States  bonds  and  other  securities, 
it  became  desirable  to  revoke  his  appointment,  which  was  done  by  power 
of  attorney  executed  by  Rev.  R.  T.  P.  Pulteney  and  Emma  his  wife,  dated 
May  23,  1871,  to  Edward  Kingsland  of  Geneva,  in  which  the  appoiutment 
of  Joseph  Fellows  was  revoked  and  full  powers  granted  to  Mr.  Kingsland. 
The  Rev.  R.  T.  P.  Pulteney  died  the  latter  part  of  June,  1874,  bequeathing 
his  estate  to  trustees,  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife,  and  his  children 
after  her  death.  A  new  power  of  attorney  was  executed  to  Mr.  Kingsland 
by  the  trustees,  December,  1874,  who  yet  continues  in  the  agency  at 
Geneva,  N.  Y.  Although  the  personal  property  branch  of  the  Pulteney 
estate  was  but  a  minor  part  of  the  whole  estate,  yet  after  all  it  was  quite 
considerable.  It  has,  however,  year  by  year  been  reduced  uutil  it  is  now 
comparitively  small  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  or  as  soon  as  it  can 
be  done  without  detriment  to  the  estate  or  inconvenience  to  the  parties, 
it  will  be  entirely  closed  up. 


8 


RETURN  OF  SURVEY. 


CONTENTS  OF  SUNDRY  SURVEYS  MADE  IN  THE  YEARS 
1791  AND  1792,  IN  THE  COUNTY  OF  ONTARIO 
AND  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK. 


1st.  Contents  of  a  tract  of  land  westward  of  the  Genesee  river,  begin¬ 
ning  on  the  west  bank  of  said  river  at  a  stake  bearing  north  twenty-four 
degrees,  thirty  minutes  west,  and  distant  eight  links  from  a  white  maple 
blazed  and  having  three  notches  on  the  sides  next  the  stake,  being  in  a 
parallel  of  latitude  two  miles  north  of  Kanawageras  village  and  bounded 
as  follows:  Eastward  by  that  part  of  the  river  which  is  between  the  place 
of  beginning  above  mentioned  and  the  river’s  mouth;  Northward  by  part 
of  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario;  North-westward  by  a  line  parallel  to 
the  general  course  of  the  river,  where  the  river  is  the  boundary  to  the 
eastward,  and  south  by  a  line  extending  from  the  river  twelve  miles  west 
on  the  first  mentioned  parallel  of  latitude,  excepting  certain  tracts  sold  by 
Messrs.  Gorham  and  Phelps,  previous  to  their  sale  to  Robert  Morris,  Esq., 
viz:  the  tract  marked  in  a  former  survey  A  No.  1.  sold  to  Israel  Chapin 
and  Samuel  Street.  The  tract  marked  in  a  former  survey  C  No.  1,  sold  to 
Ebenezer  Hunt  and  others,  and  five  equal  undivided  eighth  parts  of  the 
tract  marked  in  said  former  survey  C  No.  2,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario, 
sold  to  Smith  Jones  and  others. 


Acres.  R.  P. 

Contents .  114,857  “  2  “  38 

Deduct  an  arm  of  Braddoc’s  Bay .  57  “  0  “  37 


114,800  “  2  “  1 

Contents  of  the  township  marked  in  a  former 

survey  C  No.  2 .  25,156  “  2  “  26  3-4 

Deduct  Braddoc’s  Bay . 936  “  2  “  23 

Deduct  4  ponds  east  of  said  Bay  1,620  “  0  “  0  2,556  “  2  “  23 


8)22,600  “0“  3  3-4 


28,250  “  0  “  Ox  3 - 8,475  “  0  “  0 


Contents  of  a  tract  south  of  Chapin  and  Street’s  Township .  399  “  1  “  2 

Total . .  123,674  “3“  3 


The  general  survey  of  the  above  tract  was  made  by  Frederick  Saxton, 
Adam  Hoops,  John  Adlum  and  Augustus  Porter,  and  calculated  by  Fred¬ 
erick  Saxton  and  Adam  Hoops.  It  did  not  close,  probably  from  the  differ¬ 
ence  of  the  magnetic  variation  between  the  observations, which  the  obscurity 
of  the  weather  prevented  being  made  so  frequently  as  could  have  been 
wished  on  the  traverse  of  the  river  and  lake.  The  error  that  might  have 
resulted  was  about  thirty-three  acres  (not  more)  and  probably  not  near  so 
much.  It  was  therefore  rejected,  being  inconsiderable  with  regard  to  the 
number  of  courses  and  extent  of  the  survey. 

A.  The  field  notes  are  contained  in  the  enclosure  marked  No.  1,  West  Genesee. 

B.  2d,  Contents  of  sundry  townships  surveyed  by  Augustus  Porter 

as  per  his  returns  in  the  enclosure  marked  No.  2,  Augustus 

Porter’s  return .  131,499  “  2  “  29 

Note,  the  field  notes  of  township  No.  12,  7th  range  are  in  No.  1, 

West  Genesee. 


9 


C.  3d,  Contents  of  sundry  townships  ‘surveyed  by  Frederick  Saxton 

as  per  his  general  statement  in  an  enclosure  marked  No.  3, 

Contents,  &c .  202,956  “  3  “  31 

D.  4th,  Contents  of  sundry  townships  surveyed  by  Thomas  Davis 

and  Robert  James  as  per  their  field  books .  722,499  “  0  “  26 

E.  5th,  Contents  of  sundry  tracts  between  a  line  formerly  run  as 

the  Massachusetts  pre-emption  line  and  the  true  pre-emption 
line  run  by  Messrs.  Armstrong,  Ellicott  and  Saxton  as  per 
enclosure  marked  No.  4,  Contents,  &c .  84,896  “  3  “  5 


Note,  the  offsets  were  made  by  Morgan  Jones,  Augustus  Porter  and 
Frederick  Saxton. 

F.  6th,  Contents  of  township  No.  1 :  1st  range,  eastern  boundary, 
part  of  the  line  formerly  run  for  the  pre-emption  line ;  North 
boundary  re-surveyed  by  Morgan  Jones  and  calculated  by 

Adam  Hoops  and  Frederick  Saxton .  25,288  “  2  “  26 

See  Morgan  Jones  notes  in  an  enclosnre  marked  No.  4. 


Contents  of  West  Genesee .  123,674  “  3  “  3 

Contents  of  Augustus  Porter’s  survey .  131,499  “  2  “  29 

Contents  of  Frederick  Saxton’s  survey .  .  202,956  “  3  “31 

Contents  of  Thomas  Davis  and  Robert  James  survey .  722,499  “  0  “  26 

Contents  of  sundry  tracts  bounding  on  pre-emption  line .  84,896  “  3  “  5 

Contents  of  township  No.  1,  1st  range . ; .  25,288  “2  “26 


Total . 

DEDUCT. 

From  township  No.  6,  4th  range,  sold  to  John 

Stone  and  others . 

From  township  No.  12,  7th  range,  sold  to  Ezel 

Scott . 

From  township  No.  7,  7th  range,  sold  to  S.  Kirk¬ 
land . 

From  the  6th  range,  sold  to  E.  H.  Robbins,  Esq. 
Mr.  Porter,  who  surveyed  township  No.  13,  2d 
range,  having  been  misled  by  the  mistake 
of  a  former  survey,  included  part  of  No. 
12  of  the  same  range,  but  having  noted 
the  north-east  corner  of  No.  12  has  fur¬ 
nished  the  means  of  calculating  and  recti¬ 
fying  the  error  which  is. . . 

From  township  No.  3,  3d  range,  1  lake  and  part 
of  another . 


1,290,816  “  0  “  0 


8,720  “  0  “  0 

900  “  0  “  0 

2,000  “  0  “  0 

12,500  “  0  “  o 


1,881  “  2  “  30 
245  “  0  “  0 


26,246  “  2  “  30 

Total .  1,2K4,569  “  1  “  10 

The  above  are  the  contents  of  sundry  townships  and  tracts  of  land  in  the 
County  of  Ontario  and  State  of  New  York,  sold  by  Messrs.  Gorham  and 
Phelps  to  the  Honorable  Robert  Morris,  Esq. 

The  several  surveys  were  made  by  the  persons  whose  names  are  herein¬ 
before  mentioned,  and  their  field  books  and  notes,  reference  being  had 
thereto  as  directed  in  the  margin  at  A,  B,  C,  E),  E,  will  show  the  surveys 
of  the  particular  townships  and  tracts. 

Returned  at  Philadelphia  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  this  4th  day  of 
February,  Anno  Domini,  1793. 

The  contents  being  as  above  written  in  figures  one  million,  two  hundred 
and  sixty-four  thousand,  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres,  one  rood  and 
ten  perches. 

A  true  copy.  (Signed)  A.  Hoops,  Surveyor. 


10 


Compared  with  the  original  ) 

Philadelphia,  16th  Feb.,  1793.  j 

On  the  back  of  the  foregoing  paper  is  an  agreement  of  which  the  follow¬ 
ing  is  a  full  copy: 

Robert  Morris  having  by  the  articles  of  agreement  between  him  and 
Messrs.  Phelps  and  Gorham  of  the  18th  of  November,  1790,  agreed  to  pay 
them  for  the  surplus  which  the  lands  they  had  then  conveyed  to  him  should 
be  found  to  contain  beyond  one  million  of  acres,  and  it  appearing  from  the 
surveys  within  specified,  that  the  said  surplus  doth  amount  to  two  hundred 
and  ninety  thousand,  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  acres,  from  which  the 
deductions  within  specified,  amounting  to  twenty-six  thousand,  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  forty-six  acres,  two  roods  and  30  perches  being  made,  leaves  p 
residue  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  thousand,  five  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  acres,  one  rood  and  ten  perches,  to  which  being  added  three  thousand 
acres  as  the  amount  finally  agreed  on,  between  the  parties  of  a  tract  on  the 
west  side  of  Sodus  Bay  and  not  included  in  the  within  surveys,  the  said 
surplus  quantity  of  land  to  be  paid  for  by  the  said  Robert  Morris  will  be 
two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  thousand,  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres, 
two  roods  and  thirty  perches,  which  at  eight  pence  half-penny  Massachu¬ 
setts  currency  per  acre  amounts  to  nine  thousand,  four  hundred  and 
seventy-six  pounds,  eight  shillings,  and  which  said  sum  of  £9,476  “  8  “  0, 
Messrs.  Gorham  and  Phelps  do  acknowledge  to  have  received  from  Mr. 
Morris,  and  the  articles  of  agreement  between  them  have  been  accordingly 
cancelled  by  the  consent  of  the  parties,  and  also  with  the  consent  of  Mr. 
Chas.  Williamson  to  whom  Mr.  Morris  hath  since  conveyed  the  lands,  and 
who  to  show  his  privity  to  these  matters,  hath  together  with  the  said 
parties  hereunto  subscribed  his  name. 

Dated  at  Philadelphia  the  16th  day  of  February,  1793. 

(Signed)  Robt.  Morris,  Oliver  Phelps, 

Chas.  Williamson,  Nath.  Gorham. 


MAP  OF  THE  PHELPS  AND  GORHAM  PURCHASE 


SURVEYS— THE  PRE-EMPTION  LINES. 


The  map  printed  in  this  pamphlet  was  photo-engraved  from  a  copy  made 
by  Morley  B.  Turpin,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  of  a  map  furnished  by  Geo.  H. 
Harris,  of  that  place.  It  is  an  accurate  copy  of  a  map  made  by  Judge 
Augustus  Porter  of  the  whole  of  the  Phelps  and  Gorham  purchase  as  re¬ 
surveyed  in  1791-2. 

The  writer  gratefully  acknowledges  his  obligations  to  Mr.  Turpin  for  his  kindness 
in  freely  and  gratuitously  making  the  fac-simile  copy  and  for  the  great  pains  taken  by 
him  to  make  the  same  accurate  and  exact.  He  is  aiso  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Harris 
for  freely  furnishing  the  map  in  his  possession  as  well  as  for  his  many  other  acts  of 
kindness  and  much  valuable  historical  information.  Mr.  Harris  is  the  author  of  “The 
Aboriginal  Occupation  of  the  Lower  Genesee,’5  and  is  an  enthusiastic,  pains-taking  and 
ardent  investigator  of  early  history,  has  won  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation  and  is 
high  authority  on  the  early  history  of  Rochester,  the  Genesee  Valley  and  surrounding 
country ;  from  his  remarkable  success  in  locating  the  sites  of  early  Indian  villages  and 


12 


in  tracing  out  the  paths  or  trails  that  once  laced  the  Genesee  valley,  he  has  been  officially 
recognized  by  the  Senecas,  who  have  named  him  Ho-tar-shan-nyooh,  meaning  “he  has 
found  the  path  ”  or  “  the  path  finder.” 

Colonel  Hugh  Maxwell  having  been  employed  to  survey  and  run  the 
territory  out  into  townships,  with  Oliver  Phelps  and  others  arrived  at 
Kanadesaga  (Geneva)  the  2d  of  June,  1788.  Mr.  Phelps  having  obtained 
a  cession  from  the  Indians  on  the  8th  of  July,  at  a  treaty  held  at  Buffalo 
Creek,  on  the  25th  July  Col.  Maxwell  commenced  running  out  the  east 
line,  starting  at  the  82 d  mile  stone  on  the  north  line  of  Pennsylvania. 
Every  sixth  mile  of  this  line  was  marked  as  the  corners  of  townships,  each 
mile  of  every  township  also  noted  as  to  the  kind  of  timber,  quality  of  land, 
whether  level  or  hilly,  and  the  points  noted  where  brooks,  creeks  and 
streams  were  crossed  and  whether  they  were  large  enough  for  mill  seats  or 
not.  With  the  assistance  of  the  other  surveyors,  several  townships  were 
run  out  in  the  fall  of  1788,  and  the  survey  of  the  whole  tract  finished  in 
1789.  The  tract  was  run  out  into  ranges  six  miles  wide  and  the  ranges 
divided  up  into  townships  six  miles  square,  the  ranges  commencing  on  the 
east  with  number  one  and  running  west  to  and  including  number  seven, 
with  short  ranges  at  the  northwest,  on  both  sides  of  the  Genesee  river; 
the  townships  in  each  range  were  numbered  from  ons  at  the  Pennsylvania 
line  to  fourteen  at  Lake  Ontario. 

After  Robert  Morris  made  the  purchase  from  Phelps  and  Gorham,  he 
employed  Major  Adam  Hoops  to  cause  an  accurate  survey  of  the  property 
to  be  made,  which  work  was  performed  in  the  years  1791-2,  as  per  the 
“Return  of  Survey.”  That  part  of  the  territory  lying  west  of  the  Gene¬ 
see  river  had  been  erroneously  surveyed  by  Col.  Maxwell,  who  run  a  me¬ 
ridian  or  due  north  line  from  the  point  twelve  miles  west  of  a  point  on  the 
Genesee  river  two  miles  north  of  “  Kanawageras  ”  Indian  village,  instead 
of  “  running  in  a  direction  northward  so  as  to  be  twelve  miles  distant  from 
the  most  westward  bounds  of  the  said  Genesee  river  to  the  shore  of  Onta¬ 
rio  lake.”  This  as  well  as  other  imperfections  in  the  previous  hasty  sur¬ 
vey  were  corrected  and  will  account  for  the  difference  between  the  map  of 
Col.  Maxwell,  which  was  the  first  map  made  and  published,  and  that  made 
by  Judge  Porter  from  the  revised  survey,  of  which  the  photo-engraving 
in  this  pamphlet  is  a  perfect  copy.  The  next  published  map  is  entitled 
“Map  of  Ontario  and  Steuben  Counties,”  and  is  substantially  the  same  as 
Judge  Porter’s,  but  has  Seneca  lake  represented  on  it  in  full.  Benjamin 
Ellicott  was  employed  to  make  a  new  survey  of  the  eastern  line  of  the 
purchase  which  he  completed  December  8,  1792,  that  date  being  cut  on  a 
tree  at  the  end  of  the  line  at  Sodus  Bay,  at  the  time  the  work  was  finished. 

Under  an  act  of  the  legislature  passed  March  24,  1795,  (chap.  33),  a  de¬ 
scription  and  map  of  the  Pre-emption  line  was  procured  by  Simeon  De- 
Witt,  the  Surveyor  General,  from  Benjamin  Ellicott,  with  his  oath  at¬ 
tached,  certifying  that  it  was  an  “  accurate  representation  of  the  eastern 
boundary  of  Massuchusetts  as  run  by  himself  and  others,”  that  the  line 
run  was  in  accordance  with  the  act  of  cession,  and  that  “the  said  pre-emp¬ 
tion  line  was  truly  performed.”  Under  an  act  of  April  6,  1796,  (chap.  47), 
the  description  and  map  was  duly  attested  by  the  Surveyor  General  and 
deposited  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  and  the  line  formally 
adopted.  The  map  contains  not  only  the  new  line,  which  is  divided  off 
into  miles,  but  also  the  old  line  with  all  the  points  of  deviation  from  the 
true  course,  with  the  distances  at  the  different  points  between  the  two  lines. 


13 


The  lines  both  commence  at  the  82d  mile  stone  on  the  Pennsylvania  line,  the  old 
line  deflecting  to  the  west,  and  the  points  indicated  are  the  number  of  miles  from  the 
starting  point,  the  distance  between  the  two  lines  being  given  after  each. 


At  6 

miles,  distance  between, 

4  chains 

-12 

“  12 

66  66 

6  6 

19  “ 

75 

“  18 

6i  i  6 

6  6 

46  “ 

32 

“  22£ 

“  (about)  “ 

59  “ 

20 

“  24 

66  66 

69  “ 

25 

“  26 

6  6  6  6 

“ 

72  “ 

65 

“  27  . 

6  6  6  . 

“  1 

m 

“  30 

6  6  6  6 

“  1 

“  10  “ 

“  *45£ 

“  (about)  “ 

“  1 

“  78  “ 

25 

“  j-49 

“  (nearly)  “ 

“  2 

“  56  “ 

50 

“  65 

66  ~  66 

“  2 

“  39  “ 

68 

“  81 

6  6  6  6 

“  2 

“  65  “ 

64 

The  length  of  the  new  line  being  84  miles,  77  chains  and  45  links. 

*This  point  on  the  old  line  is  just  after  crossing  the  outlet  of  Keuka  or  Crooked  lake. 

f  At  this  point  the  new  line  enters  Seneca  lake.  These  two  points  show  the  greatest 
deflection  in  the  old  line. 

From  the  description  of  the  marks  furnished  by  Benjamin  Ellicott  for 
perpetuating  the  line,  the  following  is  extracted: 

“At  the  end  of  48  miles,  64  chains,  66  links,  stands  a' post  on  the  bank  of  Seneca 
lake*nu inhered  48M.  64C.  66L.  (Note. — The  bank  is  about  twenty  feet  high.)  The  dis¬ 
tance  from  this  post  to  the  post  standing  at  the  north  end  of  Seneca  lake  is  10  miles,  75 
chains  and  37  links,  and  the  said  post  is  marked  59M.  60C.  31L.”  The  point  of  entering 
the  lake  noted  above,  is  some  two  or  three  miles  north  of  Dresden,  and  where  the  line 
left  the  lake  at  the  north  end  is  the  present  Pre-emption  street.  The  last  of  the  marks 
is  recorded  as  follows:  “At  the  end  of  84  miles,  77  chains  and  45  links  set  up  a  post 
marked  84m.  77C.  45L.,  from  which  a  buttonwood  tree,  about  20  inches  in  diameter, 
marked  84  miles,  77  chains  45  links,  8th  December,  1792,  bears  South  67  degrees  East, 
dist.  18  links,  a  beech  tree  about  cne  foot  in  diameter,  blazed  and  marked  with  five 
notches  under  the  blaze,  and  1792  oyer  the  blaze,  bears  N.  79  degrees  45  sec.  W.,  dist. 
42  links,  and  the  post  standing  on  the  shore  of  Great  Sodus  Bay  (surrounded  with  three 
large  rocks  and  many  stones),  which  is  adjoining  Lake  Ontario.  There  is  also  several 
other  trees  blazed  and  notched  that  stand  contiguous  to  this  post  and  all  the  small  un¬ 
derwood  cleared  away.” 

From  the  “Return  of  Survey”  we  learn  that  there  were  84,896  acres  of 
land  in  “The  Gore”  between  the  Pre-emption  lines.  This  actually  be¬ 
longed  to  Charles  Williamson,  the  representative  of  the  Pulteney  associ¬ 
ates.  As  the  State  had  given  titles  to  different  parties  for  this  land,  those 
whom  Williamson  deprived  of  their  lands  received  compensation  lands 
from  the  state.  For  37,788  acres,  the  titles  for  which  Williamson  aban¬ 
doned,  he  received  from  the  State,  on  the  8th  of  July,  1799,  title  to  56,682 
acres  in  Huron,  Rose,  Wolcott  and  Butler  in  Wayne  county. 


THE  CURRENCY  OF  EARLY  TIMES. 


The  act  of  Congress,  April  2,  1792,  establishing  the  mint,  provided, 
“That  the  money  of  account  of  the  United  States  shajl  be  expressed  in 
dollars  or  units,  dismes  or  tenths,  cents  or  hundredths  and  milles  or  thou¬ 
sandths,”  and  “  that  all  accounts  in  the  public  offices  and  all  proceedings 
in  the  courts  of  the  United  States  shall  be  kept  and  had  in  conformity  to 


14 


this  regulation.”  The  act  also  provided  that  the  silver  dollar  should  he  of 
the  same  weight  and  fineness  as  the  Spanish  milled  dollar  then  in  common 
use. 

Individual  and  mercantile  transactions,  however,  for  a  great  many  years 
continued  to  he  carried  on  in  pounds,  shillings  and  pence,  and  as  the  value 
in  dollars  of  the  pound  of  account  became  fixed  at  different  rates  in  the 
several  states,  in  consequence  of  the  depreciation  of  the  earlier  currency 
of  the  American  colonies,  it  is  necessary  to  know  what  kind  of  currency  is 
mentioned,  and  the  real  value  of  it,  in  order  to  know  the  actual  value  men¬ 
tioned  in  any  early  transaction  or  document.  Although  the  pound  of  ac¬ 
count  was  composed  of  twenty  shillings,  hoth  in  Great  Britain  and  in  this 
country,  yet  the  English  shilling,  worth  about  22  cents,  was  of  more  in¬ 
trinsic  value  than  the  Spanish  shilling,  which  was  of  less  weight.  The 
Spanish  silver  coins  were  the  principal  currency  of  the  country,  and  it  was 
upon  the  value  of  these  that  monied  transactions  were  principally  based. 
This  currency  continued  to  be  largely  in  use  until,  under  an  act  of  Con¬ 
gress,  their  retirement  was  provided  for,  and  they  are  now  rarely  seen. 
The  writer  is  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  David  M.  Stone,  editor-in-chief 
of  the  New  York  Journal  of  Commerce,  who  in  response  to  an  inquiry  as 
to  the  date  and  provisions  of  this  act,  kindly  responded  in  “  Replies  and 
Decisions”  of  that  paper,  as  follows: 

Reply. — An  act  of  Feb.  21,  1857,  provided  that  *‘the  pieces  commonly  known  as  the 
quarter,  eighth  and  sixteenth  of  the  Spanish  pillar  dollar,  and  of  the  Mexican  dollar, 
shall  be  received  at  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States,  and  its  several  offices,  and  at  the 
several  post  offices  and  land  offices,  at  the  rates  of  valuation  following,  that  is  to  say, 
the  fourth  of  a  dollar,  or  piece  of  two  reals,  at  twenty  cents;  the  eighth  of  a  dollar,  or 
piece  of  one  real,  at  ten  cents;  and  the  sixteenth  of  a  dollar,  or  half  real,  at  five  cents.” 
The  coins,  when  so  received,  were  not  to  be  paid  out,  or  put  in  circulation,  but  were  to 
be  recoined  at  the  Mint.  All  former  acts  authorizing  the  currency  of  foreign  gold  or 
silver  coins,  and  declaring  them  a  legal  tender  in  payment  of  debts,  were  repealed. 
The  act  also  provided  for  the  coinage  of  one-cent  pieces,  and  made  it  lawful  for  the  space 
of  two  years,  but  no  longer,  to  pay  out  these  cents  at  the  Mint  for  the  fractional  parts 
of  the  dollar  above  named,  at  their  nominal  value  of  twenty-five  cents,  twelve  and  a  half 
cents  and  six  and  a  quarter  cents  respectively. 

The  pound  sterling  of  Great  Britain  being  rated  at  4s.  6d.  to  the  dollar, 
the  conventional  rate  for  sterling  exchange  was  $4.44  4-9  to  the  pound, 
and  this  rate  or  value  was  maintained  for  many  years.  In  New  England, 
Virginia  and  Kentucky  the  dollar  was  fixed  at  six  shillings  in  value,  hence 
the  shilling  was  worth  16§  cents  and  the  pound  of  those  states  worth 
$3.33j;  in  New  York  and  North  Carolina  the  dollar  was  fixed  at  eight 
shillings,  the  shilling  worth  12  J  cents  and  the  pound  worth  $2.50;  in  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia  the  dollar  was  fixed  at  four  shillings  eight  pence, 
the  shilling  worth  21  3-7  cents  and  the  pound  worth  $4.28  4-7;  in  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware  and  Maryland  the  dollar  was  seven  shil¬ 
lings  six  pence,  the  shilling  worth  13j  cents  and  the  pound  worth  $2.66§v 


15 


AN  ABSTRACT  OF  THE  PULTENEY  TITLE. 


I.  Treaty  of  Cession  between  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  by  Commissioners  of 
each  State,  dated  at  Hartford,  16th  December,  1786.  Recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Sec¬ 
retary  of  State,  in  Book  of  Miscellaneous  Records,  M.  R.,  [A]  page  38,  &c.,  on  the  2nd 
day  of  February,  1787. 

II.  Conveyance  to  Nathaniel  Gorham  and  Oliver  Phelps,  by— 1st,  Grant  of  same 

lands  to  Nathaniel  Gorham  and  Oliver  Phelps,  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  Massa¬ 
chusetts,  April  1,  1788  .  2d,  An  act  confirming  to  Phelps  and  Gorham  a  certain  portion 

of  said  lands,  passed  21st  November,  1788.  Recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
State,  in  Book  of  Miscellaneous  Records,  M.  R.,  [A]  page  229,  &c.,  6th  of  February,  1789. 

III.  Deed  from  Gorham  and  wife  and  Phelps  and  wife  to  Robert  Morris,  dated 
November  18,  1790,  acknowledged  before  James  M.  Hughes  and  recorded  in  the  office  of 
the  Secretary  of  State,  in  Book  M.  R.,  [B]  of  Miscellaneous  Records,  page  169,  &c.,  on 
the  24th  day  of  May,  1791. 

IV.  Deed  from  Robert  Morris  and  wife  to  Charles  Williamson,  dated  April  11th, 
1792,  acknowledged  before  James  Wilson,  IT.  S.  Judge,  20th  February,  1795.  Recorded 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  in  Liber  of  Deeds  endorsed  M.  R.,  [I]  at  page  400, 
&c.,  on  the  28th  day  of  September,  1798. 

Y.  Deed  from  Charles  Williamson  and  wTife  to  Sir  William  Pulteney,  dated  March 
31,  1801,  acknowledged  on  the  same  day  by  Williamson  and  on  the  16t.h  of  May,  1801, 
by  his  wife,  before  Jacob  W.  Hallett,  Master  in  Chancery.  Recorded  in  the  Secretary 
of  State’s  office,  in  Liber  of  Deeds  M.  R.,  [M]  page  304,  &c.,  on  the  21st  day  of  Octo¬ 
ber,  1801. 

3d  Rev.  Stat.,  2d  ed.,  225  sec. :  Act  to  enable  aliens  to  purchase  and  hold  Real 
Estate,  passed  April  2,  1798. 

3d  Rev.  Stat..,  2d  ed.,  226  sec. :  “Act  explanatory,”  passed  March  15th,  1819. 

VI.  Exemplification  from  the  Court  of  Chancery  of 

ist.  The  death  of  Sir  William  Pulteney,  intestate,  and  the  descent  cast  upon  Hen¬ 
rietta  Laura,  his  only  child,  and  heir  at  law. 

2d.  The  death  of  Henrietta  Laura  Pulteney,  intestate  as  to  her  real  estate,  and 
the  descent  cifst  in  Sir  John  Lowther  Johnstone,  her  cousin  and  heir  at  law. 

3d.  The  death  of  Sir  John  Lowther  Johnston^,  in  December.  1811,  after  making 
and  publishing  in  duplicate  a  last  will  and  testament. 

This  done  under  the  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  26th  January,  1821,  to  perpet¬ 
uate  this  testimony. 

20  J.  R.,  707;  5th  Cowan,  331;  7  Wen.,  367. 

VII.  Exemplification  from  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  will  of  Sir  John  Lowther 
Johnstone,  dated  7th  of  August,  1811,  and  proved  in  the  Supreme  Court  by  John  Birch 
Dawson,  one  of  the  subscribing  witnesses,  on  the  3d  January,  1820,  and  devising  his 
lands  in  America  to  Ernest  Augustus,  Charles  Herbert  Pierpont,  David  Cathcart  and 
Masterton  Ure,  in  trust,  &c. 

VIII.  Deed  and  release  of  trust  from  Charles  Herbert  Pierpont  to  his  co-trustees, 
dated  1st  March,  1819.  Proved  before  Lord  Mayor  of  London  by  Isaac  Samnel  Clam- 
tree,  one  of  the  witnesses,  on  the  25th  day  of  March,  1820,  and  before  Richard  Rush, 
Americnn  Minister  to  England,  on  18th  June,  1823.  This  was  done  pursuant  to  Chap. 
119,  Laws  of  New  York,  1816.  Recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  in  Book 
of  Deeds  No.  40,  page  472,  &c.,  on  the  23d  day  of  September,  1823. 

IX.  Deed  from  Ernest  Augustus,  David  Cathcart  and  Masterton  lire  to  John  Gor¬ 
don,  conveying  joint  interest  in  lands  and  appointing  him  co-trustee,  dated  19th  Novem¬ 
ber,  1827.  Acknowledged  27th  and  30th  of  May,  1834,  by  Ernest  Augustus  and  David 
Cathcart,  before  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  and  by  Ure  before  the  Lord  Provost  and  Chief 
Magistrate  of  Edinburgh,  on  the  27th  day  of  June,  1834.  Recorded  in  Steuben  County 
Clerk’s  office,  in  Book  A,  Miscellaneous  Deeds,  March  11th,  1836. 

X.  Proof  of  the  death  of  Ernest  Augustus  on  the  18th  Nov.,  1851,  and  of  David 
Cathcart  on  the  26th  of  April,  1829.  By  exemplified  copy  of  commission  and  evidence, 
executed  by  Robert  R.  Campbell,  United  States  Consul  at  London,  on  the  19th  of  May, 
1860,  with  certificate  of  the  Chief  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals.  This  commission  was 
executed  pursuant  to  Chapter  161  of  the  Laws  of  New  York,  1860,  Session  Laws  of  1860. 
page  257. 


16 


XI.  Deed  from  Masterton  Ure  and  John  Gordon,  dated  1st  January,  1851,  convey¬ 
ing  all  the  interest  of  Gordon  in  the  estates  to  Craven,  Oswald  and  Estcourt  as  co-trus¬ 
tees  with  Ure.  Recorded  in  Steuben  Co.  Clerk’s  office,  12th  Nov.,  1853,  Book  of  Deeds 
69,  at  page  49,  &c. ;  also,  in  Ontario  County  Clerk’s  office,  in  Liber  101,  at  page  148, 
&c,,  on  the  26th  day  of  November,  1852;  also,  in  Monroe  County  Clerk’s  office,  in  Liber 
105,  at  page  407,  on  the  18th  day  of  January,  1853. 

XII.  Deed  and  release  of  trust  from  Masterton  Ure  to  Craven,  Alexander  Oswald 
and  Edmund  Bucknall  Estcourt,  dated  4th  April,  1859,  acknowledged  before  George  M. 
Dallas,  U.  S.  Minister  at  London,  on  the  5th  day  of  April,  1859,  Recorded  in  Living¬ 
ston  County  Clerk’s  office,  on  the  8th  day  of  August,  1859,  in  Liber  59  of  Deeds,  at  page 
27o;  also,  in  Steuben  Co.  Clerk’s  office,  Oct.  15th,  1859,  in  Book  88  of  Deeds,  at  page 
539,  &c. ;  also,  in  Monroe  County  Clerk’s  office  on  the  11th  January,  1860,  in  Liber  155 
of  Deeds,  at  page  160. 

XIII.  Power  of  Attorney  from  Craven,  Alexander  Oswald  and  Edmund  Bucknall 
Estcourt  to  Benjamin  F.  Young,  dated  the  14th  day  of  February,  1862.  Recorded  in 
the  Steuben  County  Clerk’s  office,  in  Liber  C  of  Miscellaneous  Records,  at  page  89,  on 
the  14th  day  of  April,  1863. 

XIY.  Proof  of  the  death  of  Craven  on  the  25th  day  of  August,  1866,  by  exempli¬ 
fied  copy  of  commission  and  evidence,  executed  by  F.  H.  Morse,  Consul  of  the  United 
States  in  the  city  of  London,  England,  on  the  15th  day  of  June,  1867,  with  certificate  of 
Henry  E.  Davis,  Chief  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  dated  15th  July,  1867,  This 
commission  was  executed  pursuant  to  the  Laws  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

XV.  Deed  and  release  of  trust  from  Alexander  Oswald  and  Edmund  Bucknall 
Estcourt  to  Henry  C.  Howard,  (commonly  called  Viscount  Andover),  Geo.  C.  K.  John¬ 
stone,  Henry  Chaplin  and  James  R.  Farqueharson,  dated  Nov.  12th,  1867,  and  recorded 
in  the  Steuben  County  Clerk’s  office,  2d  May,  1870,  at  10  a.  m.,  Book  128  of  Deeds,  at 
page  188,  &c. 

XVI.  Power  of  attorney  from  Henry  C.  Howard,  (commonly  called  Viscount  And¬ 
over),  George  C.  K.  Johnstone,  Henry  Chaplin  and  James  R.  Farquharson  to  Benjamin 
F.  Young,  dated  April  11th,  1868,  and  recorded  in  the  Steuben  County  Clerk’s  office,  in 
Liber  C  of  Miscellaneous  Records,  page  455,  &c.,  on  the  2d  day  of  May,  1870. 


* 


KANADESAGA  AND  GENEVA. 


BY  GEO.  Si  CONOVER, 

4- -V --^v-.;:-;  '  -W  v-w  ‘"  * 


**  ■ 


ksraPTty, 

;:>  ■.-•'••  <¥  V 


MS 


GENEVA,  ONTARIO  COtTNTY,  NY*  Y. 

Seneca  Count v ■  185G;  President  of  Village  ofFfe* 


<A  ,  ‘  «•  • 

#%4' 


Qhairman  of  Board  of,  Supervisors 

neva,  1873-5;  1877-9.  V  !;V '/>"•> -f'E  V  ■  : 

..  Author  of  Early  History  of  Geneva,  etc.:  Compiler  and  Editor  of  “Gen’l  Sullivan's 

Indian  Expedition,  1779,”  published  by  Secretary  State  of  New  York,  1887.  -  •..>  .w-p. 

'Honorary  Member  of  Waterloo,  N.  Y.,  T  ’’brary  and  Historical  Society;  of  the  New 
,  Jersey  and  of  the  Livingston  County  Historical  Societies.  -  ‘ . j 

Gprresponcting  Member  of  Buffalo,  Oneida  aud 'New  York  Historical  Societies.' 

umte ■  ;  ■  **■*»  Aim  >v* ' w*  > ceNW  v, -M 


m1 


lEGA.ze.n:  x . 


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fcrffl-’V*  #SS 

■ir 


(1)  A  brief  acCounf  of  the. Iroquois  Indians';  (2)  the  Senecas,  their  early  locations, 
V  (3)  Jesuit  Missions  among*  (4)  destruction  by  Denonville  in  1087,  (o)  new  locations. 
?'  Onxaghee,  (6)  GANECirsTAOE  or  White  Springs.  (7)  New  Gankchstaue,  St.  Michael  on 
;  Burrell  creek.  (8)  CammerhotT  and  Zeisberger  visit  in  1750;  (9)  Kanadesaga,  the  Capital 
•  .  of  the  Senecas,  fortifications ‘ by‘^i/Wm-.  Johnson  1750;  Butler’s’  Buildings  at  N.  W. 

’  ‘borner  of 'Seneca,  Lake;  (iG^Sauiu&'fkitAlaftd'atKauadesiigtt  1705-6;  t^V^SavenoiferkgHtii.' 


, 


; 


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.(lj  N^gotiation.sr'-by  the  StaJ#  %itlt  ‘the,  rpdiap^  V/,  0*  trendy--  $  it  It  IndituR^^sshhi'bf  . 
jy  land  by  .Oiieidas ,  (2)f  sett lehrcijt  .of  and -Ma^saclrUset  ts  by 

ftp  mutual  cessions;.  (3)  the  Louses.  Line  of  Property,  Port , Stauwix— Sehnylef,  the  Long- 
Lease  surrendered,  new  State  project,  list  cf  shareholders  Leasee  Co.  ;  <4j  the  Phelps  and 
Seu  Gorham  cession;  Rev.  Kirkland’s  journal;  (5)  (Yl.  II ligh  lUax Well,  survey  of.  Phelps; 
**'■  '  1  Gorh^m^>nrchtife,e;  (tij  Che  bid 'pre-^yptipn  liii$,  fielcl  ,botB§ .df  r  ces'sfbn  of  iHilddrom 

lidagasp'Gn^eidas  and  Gnyugas ;  Tract,.  a  f  ujl h j.sf dry :  (B) 

Ryckifcan;  reservation,  Col.  Seth  lleed’s  location ;  (9)  Phelps  and  Gorham.  \  heir  sale 


(.1)  Jemima  \Vilki4ison,  tlie'ErieM’ 

.•  a  'Cente n  mir i  anj 
($)  early  roads  am 
Horatio  Jones,  .L 

water  works,  local  civil  government (lO).'  early.  biTrials  in  Gehevu,  Pufteney  ,$f.  burial 
ground;  (11)  a  chapter  of  miscellany  .entitled  Calendar  of.  Lr.nd  PaperLin 

.'the  Gore. 


ipM 


g^°  The  foregoing  contains  about  313,000  words.  Five  copies  have  b§en 
made,  o»e  of  iMxielr  is  retained  hy  the'  'to 1  the  Buffalo 

'Jiistoriea.l  Society,  ojae  to  the  State  LiBmry  ati ^Albany one  dedleatea;  to  Fued. 
II.  Furniss,  Esq. ,  and  presented  to  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical 


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